Developer takes another run at Squamish-area ski resort

Brian Morton, Vancouver Sun11.12.2013

The on-again, off-again Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) ski mountain resort project appears to be on again, with the proponent saying a new water source means it should get environmental approval in the new year.

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The on-again, off-again Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) mountain resort project is taking another run at environmental approval and this time the proponent believes the provincial government will send it to the next stage.

“This project will go ahead,” said founder and vice-chairman of GAS Inc. Wolfgang Richter of the four-season $5.5-billion project planned 15 kilometres north of Squamish — about 30 minutes closer to Vancouver than Whistler.

Three years ago, the project was put on hold because of concerns within the provincial environmental assessment office, or EAO, that proponents hadn’t done their homework to deal with water resources for the 22,500-bed resort, or the impact that using water from a local salmonid stream would have on steelhead and salmon.

Richter said the developer has gone the extra mile in proving there’s enough accessible water that won’t cause environmental issues. “It’s time for the government to get out of the way and let us do the planning work,” he said.

GAS would be developed as a resort community on 3,238 hectares of Crown land on Brohm Ridge, north of Squamish.

The latest proposal involves using groundwater in the Paradise Valley aquifer instead of the surface water suggested in the original plan.

Chris Hamilton, the EAO’s executive project director responsible for GAS, said Monday his office is now evaluating the latest information and hopes to start a 30-day public comment period sometime next month including an open house in Squamish.

Early results from a study by Piteau Associates Engineering Inc., which was hired by GAS, indicate that water could be pumped out of the ground at 70 litres per second (the amount needed to run the resort), and the initial indications are that the impact on neighbouring wells in the Paradise Valley would be minimal although that’s still being investigated.

“I can safely say that we’ve concluded that supply is there, that we can certainly pump 70 litres per second from the aquifer,” said Piteau senior hydrologist Kathy Tixier Monday. “It’s a very productive permeable aquifer.”

According to Richter, once the project receives an environmental certificate — which he expects in 2014 — the next stage would involve the district of Squamish annexing the project lands while a master development agreement is negotiated with the province.

Construction would begin in 2015, with a possible opening date of 2016/17. The project would be built in several phases over a 25-year period.

Besides Richter, two well-known B.C. businessmen, Bob Gaglardi and Luigi Aquilini, are the majority and controlling partners in GAS. Also on the board is Newport Beach-based real estate developer, Michael Lutton, who Richter said is exploring new financing opportunities for the development.

“The real news will be when the environmental certificate is issued to us,” added Richter. “That’s when the logjam will be broken and we can get down to the planning, financing and zoning.”

In 2010, the EAO didn’t express concern about issues other than water and gave GAS a passing grade on its possible effect on local community services, traffic, wildlife populations, nearby Garibaldi provincial park, and business impact on Whistler.

However, a small group of Whistler politicians met with environment minister Mary Polak in September to voice their objections to GAS.

“We’re concerned by the fact that it doesn’t make a lot of sense to build a competing ski resort just a few kilometres down the road from Whistler,” said Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden on Monday. “The destination market for visitors hasn’t dried up, but has taken a significant hit since 2008. So we depend to a certain extent on the regional guest. This resort (GAS) would effectively pick off those guests on the way to Whistler.

West Vancouver-Sea to Sky Liberal MLA Jordan Sturdy, who is also Pemberton mayor, accompanied the delegation to meet Polak and said that while he understands Whistler’s position, he hasn’t yet made up his mind.

“We need to be cognizant of the value of Whistler to the Sea to Sky, to the Metro Vancouver region and to the provincial tourism economy. I certainly wouldn’t want to compromise that brand.”

However, some critics remain skeptical.

Squamish councillor and acting mayor Patricia Heintzman, who lives in the Paradise Valley, said the project has been on hold for 10 to 15 years and she’s not sure anything’s changed.

“The Garibaldi at Squamish folks thought they were close a number of times, not that we’re holding our breath or anything. But we’ve been here before. So we’ll wait and see.

“I know there’s a lot of concern in Paradise Valley on the effects this might have on everyone’s water tables and on water levels in the Cheakamus River.”

However, Coun. Ted Prior is more optimistic, saying that although work remains to be done, he believes the new water source looks positive.

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